Two separate state moves are tightening the link between public funding and student progression. In Maine, advocacy by college leaders and students preserved the state’s free community college program, ending uncertainty over whether it would continue. In Texas, a new community college funding model under Texas House Bill 8 shifts state support toward outcomes—paying districts $3,500 per student for dual credit completion, associate-degree attainment, and transfers to in-state four-year institutions—aiming to accelerate credentials and transfer pathways.